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Uttarajjhayana-Sutta XIV : Usuyārijjan
25
-rāya) had been introduced as a replacement for mahārāyā. We could then translate : "King Işukāra went forth to that auspicious (place) as an elephant breaking its fetters (goes) to its own dwelling. Thus have I heard."
Since it is in both versions, we can deduce that this $1. verse was an early addition to the story, and at one stage must have formed the end of the narrative. It therefore follows that everything that comes after it is a later addition, as Charpentier notes p. 335). In both versions the reference to the queen going forth comes after this verse, and it seems possible that at an earlier stage of the story there was no mention of her doing this. Both traditions would have had no difficulty in adding independently details about her going forth, to round off the story and to give a parallel to the purohita's wife following the purohita.
We may draw certain conclusions : (a) The Utt and Ja versions of the story have six tr. verses in common. These are all dialogue, and are ascribed to the same speakers and occur in the same order in the two traditions. They cover the episodes of the purohita trying to dissuade his sons, their reply leading to their going forth, the purohita's decision to follow them, and his wife following him. This is the very oldest part of the story.
(b) An early addition in śl, metre tells of the sons' replies to their father, the queen's attempt to dissuade the king, and the king's decision to go forth. These verses were added to the story early enough for them to be in both traditions. The Pāli tradition converted the first of them into tr. metre.
(c) The Jaina version contains two tr. verses giving the brahmanical and antibrahmanical views of the soul. These may belong to the earliest version of the story, although they are similar to passages found elsewhere in Jaina texts. The Buddhist version either never knew them, or omitted them.
(d) The version in Utt adds a dialogue in sl. verses about the threat to the world. These also occur in the MBh, in company with the first verse uttered by the purohita.
(e) The Utt version adds another sl. verse, also found in the MBh, about the greediness of birds.
(f) Each version adds separate introductory verses, in the $1. metre in the Ja version and in tr. metre in the Utt. The Utt version also adds narrative verses in tr metre to clarify the story. The Ja version has its prose story, so such narrative verses are not required.
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